Picker stick slide linkage



Nov 1141, 1950 G. H. HUFFERD 2,529,695

PICKER STICK SLIDE LINKAGE Filed July 27, 1948 Patented Nov. 14, 1950 PICKER STICK SLIDE LINKAGE George H. Hufferd, Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignor to Houdaille-Hershey Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application July 2'7, 1948, Serial No. 40,895

6 Claims.

This invention relates to looms, and particularly to an improved linkage for controlling the movements of a picker stick relative to the lay of the loom.

As is well known, the movement of the picker sticks in a loom is one of the most critical factors entering into the successful operation of the loom at high speed. In all loom constructions wherein a picker is rigidly secured to the top end of the picker stick, it is essential that the path of movement of the shuttle-engaging portion of the picker constitute a substantially straight line, generally parallel to the path of movement of the shuttle.

In my pending application Serial No. 37,951 filed July 9, 1948, there is disclosed and claimed an improved picker stick linkage, characterized by the mounting of the controlling links which support the picker stick in its movements, upon a primary bracket which is conveniently secured i to the end of the rock shaft of the loom. In some aspects, this invention constitutes a continuation in-part of my above identified pending application in that the picker stick linkage embodied in this invention again employs the concept of a primary bracket member secured to the rock shaft of the loom and upon which the various control links of the linkage are mounted.

A feature of this invention, however, is the utilization of a slidable connection between each of U the picker stick control links and the aforementioned primary bracket. Specifically, this invention contemplates the formation of a pair of angularly disposed slide tracks in the primary bracket, and a primary link is then pivotally connected to the picker stick and to each of two slide blocks which are respectively disposed in the slide tracks. Such an arrangement not only provides accurate control of the movement of the picker stick but provides more rigid support for the link elements of the control linkage than has heretofore been possible with pivoted link arrangements.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved picker stick linkage which will accurately control the path of movement of the shuttle-engaging portion of a picker stick so that such portion follows a substantially straight line path.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved picker stick linkage wherein at least one of the links controlling the movement of the picker is slidably supported upon a primary bracket which in turn is rigidly secured to the rock shaft of the loom.

The specific nature of this invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheet of drawings which, by way of preferred example, illustrate one specific embodiment of the invention.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a picker stick control linkage embodying this invention, showing the linkage in its assembled relationship with respect to the rock shaft of the loom and the picker stick.

Figure 2 is a partial sectional view taken on the plane II--II of Fig. 1.

As shown on the drawings:

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral I0 indicates a rock shaft in a loom while the numeral I I indi cates a conventional picker stick. The picker stick I! is supported for oscillating movements with respect to the rock shaft H), and hence with respect to the lay of the loom (not shown), by a linkage constructed in accordance with this invention which controls the movement of the picker stick so that the shuttle-engaging portions of a picker (not shown), which is conventionally secured to the top end of the picker stick, traverses a substantially horizontal straight line path. In general, such linkage comprises a primary bracket I2, rigidly secured to the rock shaft I0, and a secondary bracket I3 which is rigidly connected to the picker stick I I and connected to primary bracket I2 by a pair of pivoted links I4 and IS. The links I l and I5 may conveniently comprise either single or double links according to the natur of their pivotal supports, and, in the particular example shown in the drawings, both links are of the double type, embodying a pair of spaced, parallel, identical link elements.

Primary bracket I2 constitutes an integral casting having a split extension lza'defihing a cylindrical recess to receive the end of the rock shaft I0, and is clamped to the rock shaft II] by a transversely disposed bolt I6 which passes through integral ear portions I212 formed on each side of the split hollow cylindrical portion I211. Adjacent the rock shaft-engaging portion, primary bracket I2 is provided with a depending boss I2c which defines a pivot bearing (not shown) for supporting one end of the control link I5 by a pin 23.

Primary bracket I2 is further provided with integral, upstanding bifurcated extension por tions I2d and I2e which are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the path of movement of the picker stick II. Aligned pairs of slide tracks I2f and I2g are formed in each of the bifurcated portions IN and I2e. Such slide tracks are angularly disposed relative to each other, preferably at 90, and in the particular example illustrated in the drawings, the one slide track I2f is generally horizontally disposed while the other slide track I2g is generally vertically disposed.

Obviously, such slide tracks may involve any one of a plurality of well known constructions and they are here shown for exemplary purposes as constituting rectangularly shaped slots which are milled out of the bifurcated extensions IM and In respectively.

Slide blocks I1 and I8 are provided which respectively cooperate with slide tracks I2 and I29. Again, the particular construction of such slide blocks is relatively immaterial so long as they are snugly engageable in their respective slide tracks and capable of reciprocating movements along their respective slide tracks. Both slide blocks I1 and I8 of a particular bifurcated extension I2d or I2e are pivotally secured, as by pins Ida and Mb, to the control links I4.

Secondary bracket I3 may likewise constitute an integral casting and has one face I3a thereof arranged to snugly engage the front face of the picker stick I I. The secondary bracket I3 is rigidly secured to the bottom portion of the picker stick II by a plurality of clamps I3 which are drawn into clamping engagement with the picker by bolts 20 which respectively pass through suitable holes in the picker stick and are threadably engaged with the secondary bracket 23.

Near the bottom of secondary bracket 53, a projecting lug portion I3b defines a pivot bearing to receive a transverse pin 2! which journals the other end of the control links I5. Near the top end of the secondary bracket I3, a pair of integral protuberances I30 define a pivot bearing which receives a pin 22 which pivotally supports the end portions of the control links I4.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the movements of the picker stick !I are constrained to follow a predetermined path as determined by the relative dimensions of the control links I4 and I5 and the angular disposition of slide tracks I2g and IZh. The control link I5 is preferably constructed of sufficient length so that the path of movement traversed by the end thereof which is pivotally connected to the secondary bracket I3 may, for all practical purposes, be considered to constitute a vertical straight line for the normal range of movement of the picker stick I I. Hence, the primary function of the link I5 is to provide lateral control of the position of the picker stick I I while permitting substantially unimpeded vertical movement of the picker stick I I.

The primary link I4 is employed to provide the necessary vertical positioning of the picker stick I I to insure that the shuttle-enga gement portion thereof will traverse a substantially straight line. As the picker stick I I swings from its extreme inward position which is shown in Fig. 1 to its extreme outward position relative to the lay of the loom, it is readily apparent that the cooperation of the slide blocks with the slide tracks I21 and I2g of the primary bracket I2 will first shift the secondary bracket I3 downwardly along a curved, but non-circular path, and will then raise the secondary bracket I3 upwardly along a similar curved but non-circular path. Suitable proportions of the control links I l relative to the location of the slide tracks I2 1 and I2 g may be readily obtained by conventional layout procedure so as to determine the path of movement of the picker stick II so that the shuttle-engaging portions thereof traverse a substantially straight line path.

It should be particularly noted that the described linkage permits an unusually rigid supporting of the picker stick II to be obtained inasmuch as the slide connections of the primary link I4 with respect to the primary bracket I2 offers substantial increase in rigidity over the pivotal connections described and claimed in my above-referred to copending application.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be modified through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A linkage for controlling the movement of a picker stick of a loom comprising bracket means adapted for rigid securement to a picker stick, a support bracket adapted for fixed mounting on a loom rock shaft, said support bracket defining a pair of angularly disposed slide tracks, slide blocks respectively disposed in said slide tracks, and a link pivotally secured to both said slide blocks and to said bracket means.

2. A linkage for controlling the movement of a picker stick of a loom comprising bracket means adapted for rigid securement to a picker stick, a support bracket adapted for fixed mounting on a loom rock shaft, said support bracket defining a pair of angularly disposed slide tracks, slide blocks respectively disposed in said slide tracks, a primary link pivotally secured to both said slide block and to said bracket means, and a secondary link pivotally connected directly between said bracket means and said primary bracket.

3. A linkage for controlling the movement of a picker stick of a loom comprising bracket means adapted for rigid securement to a picker stick, a support bracket adapted for fixed mounting on the rock shaft of the loom, said support bracket defining a substantially horizontal and a substantially vertical slide track, slide blocks respectively disposed in said slide tracks, and a link pivotally secured to both said slide blocks and to said bracket means, said link and said slide tracks being constructed and arranged to control the movements of the picker stick so that the shuttle-engaging portion thereof traverses a substantially straight line.

4. A linkage for controlling the movement of a picker stick of a loom comprising bracket means adapted for rigid securement to a picker stick, a support bracket adapted for fixed mounting on the rock shaft of the loom, said support bracket defining a substantially horizontal and a substantially vertical slide track, slide blocks respectively disposed in said slide tracks, and a link pivotally secured to both said slide blocks and to said bracket means, said link and said slide tracks being constructed and arranged to control the movements of the picker stick so that the shuttleengaging portion thereof traverses a substantially straight line, and a generally horizontally disposed secondary link having one end pivoted to said primary bracket for movement in a vertical plane and the other end pivoted to said bracket means, said secondary link being of sufficient length so that the path traversed by said other end thereof is substantially a straight line over the normal range of movement of said picker stick.

5. A linkage for controlling the movement of a picker stick of a loom comprising a primary bracket adapted for securement to the end of the loom rock shaft, said primary bracket defining a pair of relatively angularly disposed slide tracks, slide blocks respectively disposed in said slide tracks, a first link pivotally secured to both said slide blocks and adapted for pivotal securement to a picker stick, and a second link having one end pivotally secured to said primary bracket and the other end adapted for pivotal securement to the picker stick at a point spaced from the connection of said first link therewith, said first and second links being constructed and arranged to control the movements of the picker stick so that the shuttle contacting portion thereof traverses a substantially straight line path.

6. A linkage for controlling the movement of a picker stick of a 100m comprising a primary bracket adapted for securement to the end of the loom rock shaft, said primary bracket defining a pair of slide tracks which are respectively substantially horizontally and vertically disposed, slide blocks respectively disposed in said slide tracks, a first link pivotally secured to both said slide blocks and adapted for pivotal securement to a picker stick, and a second link generally horizontally disposed and having one end pivotally secured to said primary bracket and the other end adapted for pivotal securement to the picker stick at a point spaced from the connection of said first link therewith, said second link being of sufiicient length so that the path traversed by said other end thereof is substantially a straight line over the normal range of movement of said picker stick, said first and second links being constructed and arranged to control the movements of the picker stick so that the shuttle-contacting portion thereof reciprocates along a substantially straight line path.

GEORGE H. HUFFERD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 156,627 Brooks Nov. 10, 1874 860,863 Goodwin July 23, 1907 1,930,080 Bentley Oct. 10, 1933 

